ARTICLE 5 Elements of Good Teaching

ARTICLE  5

Elements of Good Teaching

  The students:

  1. Learn.  More specifically, students achieve the learning objectives for the course or the particular session.  Evidence that this is indeed happening could be, for example, students who are able to work out problems, answer questions, or participate in discussion in a meaningful way.

  2. Learn how to learn on their own.  This is much harder to document.  Evidence that students can (a) think “outside the box”, or (b) find information on their own, or (c) tackle open-ended questions / problems, would certainly point towards lifelong learning skills.

  The teacher:

  3. Has good rapport with the students. Listens carefully to students’ comments, questions and answers and responds constructively. Treats all students in a courteous and equitable manner.  This is important because when students feel comfortable with an instructor they are more likely to ask questions, seek help in class or outside of class, and try harder to meet high expectations.

  4. Is enthusiastic and able to stimulate interest in the subject.  If the students perceive the instructor is excited about his/her subject matter, they are more likely to engage with the material in the course and get excited themselves.

  5. Communicates high expectations of students and a belief that they can meet those expectations.

  6. Is well prepared.  Evidence could be articulation of clear and measurable learning objective(s) for the course or the session, appropriate use of visuals, well-planned activities for the students, well-organized lecture, handouts, etc.

  7. Uses a variety of methods to address the needs of students with different learning styles. For example:

·         Shows real world applications of the material discussed (sensing, inductive, global learners).

·         Shows pictures, schematics, graphs, sketches, hardware, or videos relating to the material that is being presented (visual, sensing learners).

·         Provides hand-on demonstrations whenever possible (visual, sensing learners).

·         Shows students example problems with numbers (sensing learners).

·         In the lab, allows enough time for students to discuss the results before leaving the lab (intuitive, active, reflective, global learners).

  8. Solicits and receives feedback from students to make sure they understand the material presented.

  9. Interacts extensively with the students inside and outside of class, provides prompt feedback on their performance, conveys a strong desire for them to learn, and motivates them to do so.

10. Promotes interaction and student involvement.  For example:

·         Asks students to work out in small groups open-ended problems that call for creative thinking and critical judgment.

·         Asks students to summarize the key ideas from the lecture.

·         Requires students to discuss any environmental and business aspects related to their designs.

11. Communicates clearly (speaking, writing, visuals, etc.).  Answers questions clearly and accurately.  Explains assignments clearly and thoroughly.

12. Teaches students how to think.

13. Designs appropriate homework assignments.  For example, homework includes (a) simple questions / problems that test basic understanding and build confidence, (b) more involved problems that require application of a variety of principles and (c) more challenging, open-ended problems. Moreover, the homework is tied to the learning objectives of the course.

14. Designs appropriate tests.  For example, tests

(a)     Allow enough time for students to solve the problems and then go back and check their solutions and results.

(b)     Include some simple problems / questions for warm-up.

(c)     Include at least one challenging problem / question.

Moreover, the tests are tied to the learning objectives of the course.

15. Designs appropriate course projects.  For example, they have specific learning objectives for the students. They can be completed in a reasonable amount of time.

16. Continually attempts to improve the course by updating the content and / or making use of new instructional materials and methods (including applications of instructional technology).

17. Teacher seeks to provide education in the broadest sense of the world, not just knowledge of technical content.

18.  Has appropriate expertise in the course subject.

References:

1. Wankat, P., Oreovicz, F.S., What Is Good Teaching?, ASEE Prism, September 1998, p.16.
2. Chickering, A.W., Gamson, Z.F., Seven Principles For Good Practice In Undergraduate Education, The Wingspread Journal, 9(2), 1987.
3. Hauser, D.L., Halsey, E.S., Weinfield, J.M., & Fox, J.C., What Works & What Doesn’t In Undergraduate Teaching, ASEE Prism, November 1995, pp.21-25.
4. McKeachie, W.J., Teaching Tips: Strategies, Research, and Theory for College and University Teachers, Houghton Mifflin, 10^th ed., 1999.
5. Wankat, P., Oreovicz, F.S., Teaching Engineering, McGraw-Hill, 1993.
6. Felder, R.M., Rugarcia, A., Stice, J.E., The Future of Engineering Education, part V: Assessing Teaching Effectiveness and Educational Scholarship, Chemical Engineering Education, 34(3), 198-207, 2000.